A stretched Bentley Bentayga for chauffeured set

Bespoke luxury automaker Bentley has stretched the rear of its top-selling Bentayga crossover and significantly upgraded its seating and cabin to deliver a more opulent extended-wheelbase version that seems aimed squarely at the chauffeured market.

The 2023 Bentayga Extended Wheelbase adds more than seven inches to the two-row crossover — all of it behind the front row of seats — giving it what the brand says is the "best rear-cabin experience since the Mulsanne."

But it is not just about the additional space: The larger Bentayga will be outfitted with new 22-way adjustable seats that feature "postural adjustment technology" as well as defined modes for relaxing and business. In relax mode, for instance, the rear seat reclines up to 40 degrees, and a footrest emerges from the rear of the front passenger seat. The seats, Bentley says, "can apply 177 individual pressure changes across six fully independent pressure zones over a three-hour period" to improve comfort and reduce fatigue.

The bespoke crossover — Bentley says it is available in "24 billion different trim combinations" — also features an "auto climate seat technology [that] senses occupant temperature and surface humidity and then determines whether to apply heat, ventilation or both simultaneously to keep the occupant at optimal thermal well-being."

The longer Bentayga will also feature optional power-closing rear doors and a redesigned front-row center console that is longer to allow rear-seat passengers better access to its touch screen remote, as well as a new wireless charging cradle. The vehicle also features heated armrests.

Powered by the brand's 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8 and eight-speed automatic transmission, the longer Bentayga will be equipped with an all-wheel steering system that gives it a much shorter turning radius than the shorter Bentayga.

Pricing in the U.S. was set at $229,625. Bentley said it anticipates that about 45 percent of Bentaygas sold annually will be the longer version. The 2023 Bentayga Extended Wheelbase is expected to arrive in the U.S. later this year.